I realize this was written from a position of frustration (which I share) at getting run around by customer support, but I'd reconsider the blanket characterization of tech support staff as "idiots": they're doing a high-throughput job following a playbook they're given with, as you identify, no incentive---it's probably less about personal motivation than the expectations that are set for how they perform their job---to break rules to provide better customer service to people with 5% problems.